Aya Shameimaru

Contents

Aya Shameimaru, a Crow Tengu that runs a newspaper. Happily tenacious in meddling with everyone for news, Aya's newspaper prints tabloid-level gossip and rumors, so other characters find her to be a nuisance. Aya is a very swift and strong character in this game. Her melee attacks are deceptively good despite their appearance, especially due to her speed. She is very versatile and has strong movement, often neutralizing or evading the opponent's bullets and ranged attacks rather quickly and safely. In addition to outshining other characters at evasion, Aya's brisk moveset, a hard-hitting reversal spellcard, and outstanding graze attacks allow her to punish or ward off overaggressive opponents. Aya is mostly a close range fighter that relies on lockdown, pressure, and mixups.

Aya's main weakness lies in the fact that she has possibly the most fragile normal bullets in the game. Said bullets are very fast but also quite small and specific in trajectory. Good for use in combos, but not particularly useful for getting in or suppressing opponent danmaku.

IAD: Befitting her tengu self, Aya possesses an Instant Air Dash. As soon as you input 66 or 44 in the air she will immediately enter her graze frames without delay, a skill that few other characters have.

Thrust Sign "Tengu's Macroburst" - Now shoots a tornado below her.Illusionary Dominance - Start-up also has a hit-box. More "dashes" to ensure the opponent is hit as mny times as possible. Extra dashes at the bottom also ensure the opponent doesn't land, though the final hit may still miss.

Aya's "dial A" combo. Jab, jab, overhead swipe, and a turn around swipe. Escapable between 3rd and 4th hit on block. The third hit is projectile and special cancellable, the fourth hit is only special cancellable. Fourth hit also wall slams near corner.

Mid, Mid, High, High.

3rd and 4th hits deal one orb of spirit damage when blocked incorrectly.

Far 5A

Overhead swipe. Projectile and special cancellable.

High

Deals one orb of spirit damage when blocked incorrectly.

2A

Low fan jab that that only chains into itself. Not projectile or special cancellable. You can't even repeatedly juggle with it in the corner more than three times cause she gets pushed out on hit. Faster than f.5A and better recovery than both f.5A and c.5A, so can be used occasionally defensively or in block strings. Use two or three in a row with delays in between or use a c.5A after the 2A. You can also use a f.5A after a 2A if you know your opponent doesn't have a fast enough attack to stop it.

Low

Deals one half orb of spirit damage when blocked incorrectly.

3A

Low fan sweep. Projectile and special cancellable, but can only combo if 3A counterhits.

Jump kick. Projectile and special cancellable. It's slightly downward angle makes it mainly an air-to-ground move. Pretty strong due to a nice range, angle and long active frames.

High

Deals one orb of spirit damage when blocked incorrectly.

j.6A

Flying fan stab. Projectile and special cancellable. Will never hit a crouching character. It's slightly upward angle makes it mainly an air-to-air move.

High

Wall slams and knocks away far.

j.8A

Flying wide arc swing. Projectile and special cancellable. It's fairly quick and has good reach, and Aya preserves her momentum in the air as she performs the move, so it's a great alternative for j.A for when the opponent is above you.

High

j.2A

Dive kick. Projectile and special cancellable.

High

Knocks down. Deals one orb of spirit damage when blocked incorrectly.

66A

Dashing swipe. Special cancellable.

High

Deals one orb of spirit damage when blocked incorrectly.

66B

Dashing turnaround swipe. Only spellcard cancellable.

High

Knocks down. Deals one orb of spirit damage when blocked incorrectly.

66C

Dash into flying fan stab. Only Spellcard cancellable. Will never hit a crouching character, and will whiff on certain characters in particular animations. Useful for knocking down opponents throwing projectiles while close to the ground.

Low wind boomerang. Goes out a fixed distance and returns, sweeping the entire area behind Aya as well. Useful for okizeme.

j.5B

Aerial gust bullet. Often possible to combo off hitstun in midair if you airdash.

Deals 1/2 orb of spirit damage on block.

j.5[B]

3 charged aerial gust bullets. Can occasionally be used in combos near the corner.

Deals 1/2 orb of spirit damage on block.

j.2B

A slightly angled downward gust bullet.

Deals 1/2 orb of spirit damage on block.

j.2[B]

3 spread out slightly angled gust bullets.

Each wave deals 1/2 orb of spirit damage on block.

5C

Turn around fan into a wind wave. Again, fan has no hitbox of its own. The wave curves up in a parabolic motion before coming back down.

Deals one orb of spirit damage on block.

5[C]

Turn around fan into twin wind waves. One wave curves up and one wave curves down before they meet again at the opponent. Possibly useful for guard crush sequences.

Each wave deals one orb of spirit damage on block.

2C

Same as 5C, except the wave curves down before coming back up.

Deals one orb of spirit damage on block.

2[C]

Same as 5[C].

Each wave deals one orb of spirit damage on block.

6C

A useful mid range projectile that goes out about a quarter of the screen and sticks around for a second before disappearing. A bit dense, so it tends to stop a lot of bullets. The reel from the hit can be comboed with a 236B/C, a super, or both. Use this during combos when 2/5C either can't hit or will push them too far across the screen.

B version: Gale Fist. Usable in ground and air. Ground version travels very fast; air version angles downward quickly, and when it hits the ground it continues to travel along as a slow-moving shockwave with reduced damage. Both versions are used commonly for combos, and the Air version can be used to rain down quickly on foes below and make the ground unsafe as a slow projectile. Slow moving Gale Fists can also be used as oki.

C version: Same as B version.

Hisoutensoku Changes: At level 0, the aerial version disappears immediately on contact with the ground. Starting at level 1, it travels along the ground as before.

B version: One of Aya's most useful moves. Extremely good since it grazes and completely ignores danmaku barrages while crashing straight forward. If blocked, Aya will bounce off the enemy. On hit and whiff, Aya will continue flying for a certain time until she lands. After the move ends, Aya is completely vulnerable before landing.

C version: Goes upward at a 45 degree angle if used from the ground, and crashes downward at a 45 degree angle if used from the air. Good but risky option for anti-air from the ground, but the aeriel version will find more use to deny opponents from dashing forward or high jumping up/forward.

B version: Aya strikes a stylish pose with her pen and bunkachou while she summons a pack of 7 crows that congregate above her before swooping down. The main use of this move is okimeze, as 2B 421BC is a very strong sequence, but it can also be used as a defensive measure to keep opponents in close quarters from meleeing or firing projectiles. Crows do not disappear if Aya is struck or knocked down, making them handy to interrupt enemy combos and giving Aya a chance to escape or counter-attack. However, the maximum number of crows summoned can be stunted if Aya is struck during the middle of her pose. An interesting thing to note is that like Alice's dolls, Aya's crows can act as meat shields against projectiles and melee.

C version: Summons crows that congregate over the opponent instead of Aya.

Wind Standing of the Tengu -- 22BC:

Wind Platform. Air only. Upgrading = Increases damage and at LvMAX shoots three wind blasts instead of only one.

B version: Aya creates a wind ball under her shoes and hovers in mid-air. When she jumps, the windball shoots in the opposite direction of her jump. A good analogy would probably be SamSho's Rimururu's ice platform. Utilitarian move for movement, as it can be used both as an extra airdash and can be spammed infinitely as long as Aya has enough spirit. You can also use this to surprise the opponent with an unexpected bullet from above. Also, you can't perform this if you're too high on the screen.

C version: Slightly slower startup than B version.

Hisoutensoku Changes: At level 0, the attack has a VERY short range. You can hit your opponent if their hitbox is almost touching the ball before it leaves her feet, however, it is still grazable.

B version: Just like her default 214. You lose graze, but can add a followup dash that can be angled in any direction by pushing a button and direction as the first dash ends. At max level you get an additional dash for a total of 4 dashes.

C version: Same as B version but first dash is initiated at a 45 degree angle instead of horizontally.

Tengu Falling -- 214BC:

Crossup Gust. Ground and Air. Upgrading = Increases damage.

B version: Aya rushes diagonally up at a 30 degree angle and shoots a wind shot backwards. If the opponent is in Aya's flight path, Aya will fly past them and fire at them from behind. Nice skillcard for crossups against blockers, but not recommended at all since her Conquer Dash is too useful to be replaced. The move is also quite easy to graze on reaction as well. Aya will sometimes leap forward and get stuck on the front of the taller characters, which is pretty much begging for punishment.

B version: Aya strikes a pose and a wind shield will surround Aya for a brief period of time. If you initiate the move in air it will be negated as soon as you land and viseversa.

C version: Same as B version.

Tengu Pebbles -- 421B/C:" (Expansion-only)Rock Toss. Usable both in air and on ground. Upgrading does (?).

B version: A setup move. If used on the ground, catapults rocks straight into the air. The rocks don't deal damage. If used again, increases the number of rocks that will rain down on the opponent. There's no limit on how many times you can use this move. If used in air, the rocks that were catapulted in air are rained down on the opponent straight down. Grazeable. If there were no rocks set-upped beforehand, it does nothing. Damage is really small and random. If used at the end of a combo, has possibilities of continuing the combo if enough rocks have been saved up.

B version: Aya performs what looks like her j.2A, but it is accompanied by some added wind and has increased falling speed. This move hits twice(one time in the air and one time when landing).

C version: Shoots out two(four at LvMAX, being two of the shots at normal speed and the other two at high speed) wind waves when Aya reaches the ground, with the shots traveling left and right along the ground. Only the wind waves hit the enemy, not the j.2A animation.

Tengu Drum -- 22BC:

Bison Stomp! Usable in ground and air. Upgrading = Increases damage.

B version: Aya hops up forwards into the air, and then arcs downwards. If she connects with the opponent, she will stomp on their head and inflict damage. Can be marginally controlled. After a successful headstomp, Aya will hop off the opponent's head, at which point she maintains some marginal movement control as well as a follow up attack on the way down. A will perform her j.8A, B will perform her j.2A, and C will shoot a bullet toward the opponent.

C version: Same as B version, but Aya travels farther as she performs the move. Will jump behind the enemy if you're too close to her.

Note: Consider using the C followup to clear the way of projectiles as you land, as the bullet is fairly dense.
Hisoutensoku Changes: At level 1, only the A followup (j.8A) can be used after the stomp. Starting at level 2, all 3 followups can be performed as normal.

Demonic Beast "Sickle Weasel's Veiling" Costs 1 card. Usable both ground and air. A powered up version of Aya's alternate skill card Wind Sickle Bering. In corner on hit does 790 damage alone. On block in corner drains a little more than 1 spirit orb. The shield lasts for 3 seconds untouched on the ground or 1 second in the air or touching the opponent.

Wind Sign "Wind of the Tengu Path" Costs 2 cards. A narrow horizontal tornado projectile attack. This spellcard should be in between close-to-midrange and beyond to take full advantage of the strange cone-shaped hitbox; otherwise, if used at point blank, it will deal significantly less damage or whiff. Saps away about 2.5 spirit orbs if fully blocked.

Wind Sign "Tengu's Newspaper Deadline Day" Costs 2 cards. (Expansion-only)Aya summons a whirlwind around her feet, which trails maple leaves as she moves around. While this lasts, Aya gains increased speed for all movement besides flying, akin to her Tempest weather. Unlike the weather, she does not gain an extra airdash. The speed boost is the faster than the weather, and does not stack with it. The boost lasts for 5 seconds.

Whirl Sign "Maple Leaf Fan" Costs 3 cards. Generates a tornado in front of her that moves forward. This is mostly an easy money combo spellcard. Very punishable if blocked on the ground near the middle of the stage, since the opponent can easily graze right through with 66 melee attack. Slightly less susceptible to punishment if blocked in the air in the middle, or blocked in a corner both on the ground and in the air. Beware of Border Escapes though, due to the card's massive recovery time.

Thrust Sign "Tengu's Macroburst" Costs 3 cards. Usable in air only. Aya quickly stands on a wind platform similar to her default 22BC which explodes and releases several mini gale fan shots below her. Has decent vertical range but poor horizontal range. Damage is relative to how close you are to the opponent (roughly 3600 damage point blank) and the ground. On block it drains anywhere from 2-4 spirit orbs depending on how close you are to them. Aya recovers quickly from this move so she can airdash away to safety on block or land before the opponent stands up on hit. Consider using as a followup to alt 22B/C Bison Stomp, both as a combo and as a followup for when you whiff to recover from any possible punishment.

Hisoutensoku 1.10 Change: Instead of the gale fan shots, it is now a tornado that shoots the opponent toward the ground and hits them multiple times before dissapating.

Squall "Sarutahiko's Guidance" Costs 3 cards. Aya CRUSHER! Very good because it combos from almost anything and nearly grazes across the entire stage. Doable in the air also, so you can end with this instead of j.236B. Punishable if Aya bounces on the wall or is blocked, and even more punishable if she performs the SC while airborne, since she's completely helpless until she lands.

Headwind "Route Forbidden to Man" Costs 4 cards. Creates a giant windstorm that pushes the opponent in the direction that Aya is facing while rocks randomly fly through the air. The rocks only deal small amounts of damage on hit but drain considerable amounts of spirit orbs on block. Aya is unaffected by both the wind and the rocks. Pricey but decent spellcard since it forces the opponent to either futilely attempt to fly away while leaving themselves vulnerable to melee attacks, or turtle in the corner giving Aya a chance to go for a guard crush + combo follow up. Also, despite the appearance of this move it does not negate the current weather effect.Note: Hilariously, this works against Suika's Missing Purple Power form, making her flail uselessy or spam ground projectiles on the other side of the screen while you smack her around with the boulders and ranged projectiles. Always keep one on hand!

Crow Sign "Daymare in the Night" Costs 4 cards. (Expansion-only)Summons a giant murder of crows from the corner of the screen behind Aya that home in on the enemy.

Tornado "Indication to the Divine" Costs 5 cards. Huge ass tornado around Aya that deals enormous damage. It has extremely short horizontal range on the ground, so only useful in corners or as a devastating reversal thanks to its 1F-? invincibility frames. Also a good response for pesky foes hovering above thanks to its slightly larger horizontal range in the sky. Unlike Reimu's Pillar, Aya or her opponents can be pushed out if blocked, leaving Aya hanging and extremely susceptible to punishment. Melee attack.

Illusionary Dominance Costs 5 cards. Aya shoots up about 30 degrees from the ground. The initial flight crosses about 4/5 of the full screen. If this connects, she moves across the screen back and forth multiple times, juggling the opponent while at it, and gradually increasing her speed. Tapping left and right direction key will increase the height where Aya maintains her flight. This is important since if you do not control the height well, the opponent might fall to the ground and wait to punish Aya when she comes back to the ground. Only practices will let you get the feel of this control. If you managed to keep the opponent in the air for the duration of attack, it should be guaranteed to do 4k~5k damage (from full HP). Also combos from her BnBs, but the damage will be reduced from proration. Punishable if blocked, whiffed, or dropped in the middle. Also does not work against super armor (both weather and Tenshi's spell).In Hisotensoku this move now has an additional visual effect where Aya drops MoF styled maple leaves everywhere she flies.Hisoutensoku 1.10 Change: Has wind gust hit on startup, camera zooms out to see the whole screen, and hits have a much better flow, especially if they end up dead center of the screen near the "speed up", making 30+ hits possible. (Although it seems that it has been powered down a bit)

Spirit Orb Usage: 3
Notes: 6C can be grazed if 5AAA 5B is blocked. If you cancel 236 immediatly after 6C, it does 2441 damage . If you slightly delay the 236 after 6C, it does 2551 damage. Delay time is not hard, since it's "anything but right away". So make sure to get used to it.

f.5A 5B 6C 236B/C

Spirit Orb Usage: 3
Notes: Same as above, but with f.5a starter.

5AAA 5B/2B 236B (Maple Leaf Fan Gust)

or

5AAA 5B/2B 6C 236C

Spirit Orb Usage: 2, 3
Notes: Requires the Expansion-Only 236 card. Will NOT work in the corner. The 236 whirlwind keeps them in the air long enough that you can highjump and do a followup of your choice.

5AAA 5B HJ9 j.A j.2B D3 j.A 5AAA 5B 6C 236B/C

Spirit Orb Usage: 5
Notes: Doesn't work in the corner as j.2B will whiff. Works only on Alice, Patchouli, Yuyu and Iku.

Aya's strategy has changed alot recently due to the nerfs that she's been through, and so hopefully this will give a few pointers to those who wish to use her.

- Unless you know how to put on very good pressure with her at close range, it is suggested that most Aya players (Especially starting out) play hard to get. Hover around the outer edges of your opponent's melee range (Character dependant) and pelt them with fast B bullets, retreating when necessary while you wait for your opponent to do something silly that leaves them open, then press the attack.

- Using her Domination Dash in order to plow through enemy projectiles is a good strategy only as long as your opponent isn't expecting it (The same could be said for most attacks). If it's blocked, Aya will be almost guaranteed to eat a combo, and because of her lowered damage, it's very difficult to make up lost ground due to such a mistake. Instead, look to make your opponent play a guessing game during her blockstrings. At the end of most of her B&B's you have the option of Gale Fist (Or anything that fits the forward projectile role) or Domination Dash or Graceful Dash (Not Tengu Falling, as it can be grazed in the same way.) Your opponent then has to decide whether to attempt a graze or eat a Dash. Think Rock, Paper, Scissors. Gale Fist beats blocking (Enough blockstun to approach for a second round), blocking beats Dash, Dash beats Grazing, Grazing beats Gale Fist.

-Be aware of your opponent's moves that have an extended hitbox (Patch's J.6A comes to mind) when using the Domination Dash, as it will counter it cleanly.